New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-28
4 NATURAL GAS CRAZE IN ONO
SENATOR sHERMAN's INTESTINE. I.
TIE FINDLAY BooM-CoRNER LoTs-THE GREAT
KARG WILL

TIE FINDLAY BOoM-C0RNER LOTS-THE GREAT
KARG WELL.
[FRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or TnE 1RiBUSRl
FINDLAY, Ohio, May 25.-If the reader will take a
typical Western mining town, rob II of its coarseness
bravado and swagger and cothe the people in the hah
mcnts of espcctabity and civilization he will have left
the mental aud moral qualities of interest excitement
and energy; and he will then have before him fair
picture Of Finday and other Western towns that have
passed under the sway of the recent oil and gas excite
mcnt The existence of natural gas at Finday, which
is the centre Of the gas region OF Ohio has been known
for many years, hut it not thought that the surface
indications that noted pointed to anything more
than little pockets OF swamp gas. Tho whole region Of
northwestern Ohio is low and used to be called the great
black swamp The first biz gas well discovered Mt Find
lay the Karg WELL struck in January, lsS6. 80 far
is known there is no larger gas well in this or in any
other country II daily pours forth between thirteen
and fifteen million cubic feet OF gas. The initial pres
at this well is 900 pounds TO the square inch and
1t gains its pressure I'm minute aud half after being
shut oil. Fora long time there a barbarous waste
of gas at Fnday For months the Karg well blew its
mighty volumes OF natural gas into the air with harsh
painting roar like that of hundred high ssurc steam
locomotives. Occasionally. when brilliant illumination
desired would fire a rocket into the escap-
ing gas and then the column would hurst into "A great
balloon OF flame which shot up into hcar and lighted the
country for miles in all directions. When the workmen
trying conGnc this well to prevent the waseful
piece of weighing three tons hurried
the powerful current 200 feet into the air
There are in the vicinity OF Fnday about forty wells
half OF them In the city Itself and the number would
he almost infinitely mnlupliedi IL there or de-
mlnd for more gas. The production OF these Finday
wells Is s7,OOO,OOO cubic feet In twcnty-four hours.
equal In its heating properties to more than 1000
bushels OF the best coal The heating power of Fndlay
has been carefully estimated by we'll equipped scicn-
lists and it declared to be from eleven to fifteen per
richer IN heat producing properties than the natu
raj gas in in Pitshurg. The available heating power
gas that he utilized exceeds that of coal 10y p per
cent. Fndlay is probably thr only town IN the world
that is built great reservoir OF Anywhere in
the Eastern part Of the town the Grillers strike
good we'll In order that there may be large and profit
able flow of ga4 from WE'LL limestone from
which these fluids has to have some popularity OF
formation structure that reservoir or storcbousc
can afforded for the gas 20 accumulate I'm. At Find
ly this structural popularity is marked and the fold or
arch Of TreLton rock has its Western edge almost den
cal with the north aud south line made 10y the main
street of the town. 80 that well drilled anywhere in
the gas belt east OF the main street OF Fnday will pro-
ducc dry gas II the drIcrs this street and sink
we'll. it will produce oil with little or no
The Flndlay gas belt of Northwestern ohio Is about
forty miles long anL from five 70 ten miles in width
When gas was first found at Findny In large quantities
the town was small ana the people quiet and easy
going that they made little Of it, Finally the news
of the cuormoGs now made its own way through the
state aud less than year ago some glass houses were
located In Fnlay ana from that time on the old order OF
things began to change. Last February. the Hon VIII
son Vance grandson Vance. purchased for
Senator sherman tract Of land south Of Fin!lay con
tanning 100 ncrcs for which $4,000 paid This in
yrencnt attracted the attron az real estate men, in
vc-ors and spcculnors ana In few weeks scdatc te
Flndlay Was ttauslolmcd hociS anu n"at"lhE h"u-c-
were crow led. the streets Wcrc cd Win an excited
throug and tie trains that halted at the various railway
stations brought heavily loaded passenger cars mere
was Wild demand ami strife "r farms Ia ~" gds belt
ce,ucu Mt b, nu the population bad almost doubled and
every man. woman aud child was dealing IN corner lots
or other real estate The barber who shaved and the
boy who hlacked my boots offered me what they were
pleased to call great bargains in lots
There are here the dash and hustle or the booming
w. ,,o,,,nt and struggle for bu .ue.. advantages;
hut IL /. good tempered ANA monner" movement The
roy miner with his JACK boots ana pistol j. absent, lu
H. s,, are tbonghtfnl bat excited men Of aairs Who
lay, accumulated money AMI are seeking Investment.
Their, prnhahly never more orderly, respectable
excitement than the one "a Northwestern ONO. II has
nm the flavor flsrinltiou and sparkle 81 Legitimate
barter. without the dissipation ana Drawing td might
Dee expected win such h'rrrl struggle Tor money.
TAe capacity 81 the town II ot'rtaNri. Every nlgut
hundreds OF -pcculn"r' tk" r'rnt trains Ia heigh"r
anl then return In THE morning 80 fndlhy The price OF
senator Iu'h aNi' "ii wiz ''N a., - s w.
moNcmcut ln ital g. l'' - ~ ~ I'M; "a, ' t.
100000 "a ~doo0p. ln -Nty DAYS - 9-u'"' ana just
me a letter from some Well known cihi"il'i making
cash of 10000 for the land The real estate sac-
b,re have reached more than -J,0p00opa week one
year ~" r', , n 900. NOR. ran flr.r times what
T. s.i, when senator sherman became an Investor. The
boom /, founded upon cheap fuel and The industrial
la,opucnf that f. expected to follow ~ use Fuel 40
rtdla, costs almost nothing. The city own, number
of nnc gas well. and the gas main, 10y which the houses
r. .tuptrd The cost 10 consumers Tor -as D. - ccuis
month for each -ioyr or crate Manufacturing c7tan
l,liucut- OF consequence have wells given To ucm 80
that their fuel costs NOTHING ..
Fually f. cuycopr go ava aim"- phrrc %" gas ana j.
prnp.rly crcd the gas centre Of the hIl'd StH'~
when one appronchc, the place 20 night lramnt flames
from tine great puc. ot ltgt that rise ahd Hare ifo
hun lrcl huge pipc- brighten the heavens Win rudy
,,I,, which suggests the Northern lights. Iuc gaS las
stroug -uphuric olor II can thus hr easily detected,
and there Is Ntiic danger oi IT. ''tht III mouse u
"a, ha. decided Advantage over That found elsewhere.
81 far is present indications gp the supply Is wilh"ui
limit 4 Few ~ the wells have been ia blast t"i -FOUR
vcIr- aud neither the pressure nor Tie volume has
diminished iu the least ~ - asserted tlat the pressure
I'm nm. great Kprg well hls increased within me last
months: bat after aii. the pcrpciuy OF tic great
ruicrrrniuI reservoirs of natural glS j. matter OF
conjecture The theories bearing on hi, branch oi the
subject are almost numerous - the people VINO WISH
N ~ m lAnul.TIIul.